Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo, a medical doctor from Angola, was nominated on 2 September 2004 by the 54th Session of the World Health Organization (WHO)Regional Committee for Africa as WHO Regional Director for Africa.
The 115th Session of the WHO Executive Board, held from 17 to 25 January 2005 in Geneva, Switzerland, formally appoint him to the position for a five-year term beginning 1st February 2005.
 |
| Dr. Luis Gomes Sambo, a medical doctor from Angola |
Dr. Sambo obtained a degree in Medicine in 1977 from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Angola, and the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. In 1988, he qualified as a Specialist in Public Health at the Colegio de Post Graducao Medical, University of Angola.
He started his career in 1977 as District Medical Officer at the Municipality of Cacuaco in the Province of Luanda and served as Director of Health Services in the province of Cabinda from 1978 and 1980, and as Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Health in Luanda from 1981 and 1983.
Dr. Sambo was called to serve his country in various other capacities before his elevation to the post of Vice Minister of Health, in 1983 – a position he held for five years. As Angolan Vice Minister of Health he was Chair of the National Health Committee; Coordinator of Public Hospitals in Luanda; and Supervisor of the National Programme for Disease Control, Mother and Child Health, and Epidemiological Surveillance.
He joined WHO in 1989 as Chief of the Inter-Country Strategic Support Team in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he oversaw technical support to strengthen health systems in the Southern African countries. In 1990, Dr. Sambo was assigned to Guinea Bissau as WHO Country Representative where he had extensive and intensive hands-on experience of WHO operations at country level.
He was re-assigned to the Regional Office in Brazzaville in 1994 as Regional Adviser in charge of coordinating WHO’s Health-For-All Strategy. In 1996 he served as Director of the Division of Health Services Development at the Regional Office.
In 1998, he was appointed Director of Programme Management at the Regional Office, effectively the second in command at the Regional Office, Coordinating WHO’s programme of technical cooperation with 46 member States in the African region.
Dr. Sambo is fluent in spoken and written Portuguese, French and English.
Dr. Sambo, who has several publications in international journals, is a member of various associations including the Angolan Medical Association, the Portuguese Medical Association, and the International Society of Systems Sciences.
